Fight Disrupts Street Festival In Pittsfield

When the mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Dan Bianchi, raised concerns about continuing the city’s third Thursday street festival this year, he cited pedestrian safety related to street construction—not fears related to crowd control.

But immediately after the seasonal kick-off of the downtown celebration ended Thursday night, a scuffle between two youths led to a fracas in which all 20 on-duty Pittsfield police were sent to the scene, along with assistance from the county Sherrif’s office, state police, and two neighboring police departments.

The police were trying to re-open the city’s central artery when the fight broke out, leading to several arrests. But Pittsfield police captain John Mullin says the incident does not call into question the future of the monthly event, at least from his department’s perspective.

“The disturbance was not part of third Thursday. these people involved had their own issues, ” Mullin said.

There were no other major incidents reported the night the event. Next month’s festival is scheduled for June 21.